Popping and Flyfishing

[Santosh Shanmuga]

Hey guys,

I'm brand new to the popping scene, and I'm think about doing a trip to the South Pacific in the summer (June, July, August) or 2009.

I'm an experienced flyfisherman, so I would like to know what locations and/or companies can offer both popping and flyfishing for some big GTs. I have a 16 and 17wt flyrod, so gear won't be a problem for flyfishing. Are there any locations or trip that would suit me, a beginner popper well? Possible with Le Poisson or NomadSportsfishing?

Places like Bugatti Reef or Shoalwater? I know Shoalwater is hard fishing, but I would be up to the challenge.

I'm a rod builder, but I build mainly fly rods. I was looking into some blanks for building a popping rod, and the Calstar GF700XH looks like a great blank. What do you guys think?

Thanks
-Santosh

[Mick Cunningham]

hi again ..

i think you are better head out to bugaffi reef ... for some fly fishing ..

shoalwater is only for big gt there is no place for fly fishing ...i have been there ... you can check this report 
http://www.gtpopping.com/forum/index.php?topic=493.0

i,m sure that brandon will help you out  cos he have been out there ...

cheer,s mick

[Jon Li]

In my opinion , flyfishing targetting GT is best done on sandy beaches rather than rocky areas where one needs to resort into " no line out " technique which you can't do with flyfishing outfits .

Jon .

[Santosh Shanmuga]

Although I do agree with you Jon, I have to say that my Shiltons have been able to lock down a 20lb GT in Hawaii. Although it's nowhere near the size of the GT's in Bugatti, etc, I think my Shiltons are up for the challenge. Also, I would think that my Danielsson HD 9-13 could do the same.

If not, oh well. I'm not stuck to flyfishing. I'll just switch over to popping.

Thanks for the input guys! This forum is the best site I've found for GT help!

[Chris Young]

Hi Santosh, I think if you want to fish fly & popping gear at somewhere like Bugatti you will have to make sure you book your trip on the smaller tides so you can best use the fly gear , means a bit of a pay off on the popping but I'm sure you will still find fish. BTW I have seen quality 16# rods break on GT's used by experienced anglers.
I think Aaron Concord would be able to give you some sound advice on all of the above, I know he loves GT's on both poppers & fly.
 
Cheers Chris

[Aaron Concord]

Santosh,
The first thing is whether you are wanting to fish IGFA or with heavier breaking strain flylines with a leader of 60-80LB and just hope to WIN!!!!!!
Most of THE best places are flats/sand cays where you are flats fishing for them and IGFA regs are a possiblity.
Most of the enormous GT's I have witnessed eat my flies have come from berley trails from an anchored boat, with the berley drawing fish from reef to (hopefully) give you a chance....I've broken a flyline or 10 trying this method and my big rod is an IMX 15/17 G.Loomis with a #5 Abel on it.
NOMAD does go to someplaces where flats fishing and/or teasing with a popper or stick bait can work and the reef that surrounds the cays are fairly flat.....
I can point you to plenty of areas where you will hook up, though landing any GT over 15kg on fly in most of these places would be a very impressive capture.
Christmas Island and the Maldives, plus New Caledonia, where flats fishing for them is great (Seychelles too) would be my advise if you really want a big GT on fly landed.[/i]...
If you want a real "taste" of just damn big fish on fly, then the Coral Sea Territories is MY 1st choice.
Where are you from??
Anything I can do to help, just ask.

Chris, thanks for the kind words mate....I hear your doing well in your popper pursuits...great to hear.

Cheers
Aaron.

[Andre van Wyk]

If GT on fly is your poison, then Cosmoledo Atoll in Seychelles is where its at...

These fish were all taken while wading the flats and reef edges, and using the South African made Shilton Reels that Santosh mentions...Locked drags, 120lb leaders and hold on tight... between 8 anglers we took over 200 GT's on fly in 7 days fishing.... Fishing with Flycastaways...

My Personal Best:



The Two biggest of the trip:
Taken in one of the channels into the lagoon

The Fight


Taken at a Sandy Point... the perfect spot..


And the largest I've seen a pic of being landed... This fish was not taken on my trip.
Hooked while wading the reef edge, and then landed from the Zodiac Tender...est 115 lbs


Of all the places I hear about on this foruma nd many others regarding the worlds Greatest GT fishing, I very seldom hear mention of Seychelles and I'm curious to hear why....
While there we saw a good number of GT's over the 120lb mark... one or two which were hooked on fly but handed the angler their ass... and others which justw erent interested in a fly... but you will be surprised how far a 100lb GT will swim to eat a 6/0 fly..... in 2 ft of water with his back sticking out too..... and then eat the fly 10 ft from your rod tip..... It will turn your legs to butter!!! All site fishing...

Add to that the Dogtooth and Snapper potential, and I'm surprised not more people talk about it...

This Doggie was taken off the back of the Mothership at night... again transfer to Zodiac to land it...

[Santosh Shanmuga]

Hello Andre.
Yes, I was also considering the Seychelles and Christmas Island. I heard both those places have great GT fishing on the fly, plus big bonefish, permit (Seychelles), milkfish (CI), bluefin trevally, dogtooth (Seychelles), and a LOT of yellowfin tuna (CI).
Plus, both are more affordable. Christmas Island runs about 4500 USD for two weeks plus airfare from Honolulu. Seychelles are more expensive, up to 7000 USD for a week. Bugatti and Marion reefs range from 5000 for a week to 8000.
Andre, if you don't mind me asking, how much was your trip?

It's a really tough choice...I might just have to do all 3! 

Hey Aaron!
I appreciate your help and tips. So Le Poisson Banane will accomodate flyfisherman?
Taking into account price, fishing time, and the fish...price being top most...what would you say is the best play to try?
I don't mind combining flyfishing and popping, even if I happen to do more popping.

PS Andre...in your picture "The Fight", what are the fish tailing in the background? GTs?

[Kasey Leong]

Le Poisson Banane can also offer big bonefish and milkfish. 

Current record is 8kg bonefish (with much larger left unlanded) I'm quite sure. I can't remember well enough to quote exactly what David said the average size was (blame it on Chivas) but it is enough to raise more than a few eyebrows.
From memory, I think David has mentioned a few 10kg bonefish hookups with subsequent very quickly emptied spools. In Ben you also have an incredible spotter.

[Aaron Concord]

Santosh,
My pleasure...just ask & I'm glad to help.

Andre,
THAT IS AMAZING FISHING ON ANY TACKLE MY FRIEND!!!!!!
I placed the Seychelles in my list for Santosh, though not knowing how far one is willing to travel, I placed it last...not on a dollar scheme.
That is awesome fishing.....were they ALL sight cast to? No chumming/berley or teaser poppers used???
I'm glad I have a keyboard because I can't speak right now...my jaw is on the ground...
Congratulations to all...

Kasey,
That Chivas guy rumbles my memory too!!1

[Andre van Wyk]

Aaron - Thanks for the comments mate... it truly was a trip of dreams,....

In response to your questions - Yes, all fishing is a site casting affair... its all wading based so you are always seeing the fish before making your cast... On my trip we used no teasers or burly at all.... non was needed... as said all fishing was done whilst wading.... We were one of the first groups to fish Cosmoledo atoll in an organised group, so we were fishing very much virgin waters, and to fish that had not seen a lure or a human... my biggest GT ate the fly 10ft from my rod tip, ran 30 metres and spat the fly out, only to then turn around and hammer the fly again.... this happened on numerous fish... CRAZY! It was an unreal adventure....
The area sees more fishing pressure now and the guides now do make use of teasing rods with hookless poppers on the flats to draw GT's in at times, but its not always needed...

My dream is to go back, if I could ever afford it, with decent jigging and popping gear, as well as a small spinning outfit for the huge numbers of Bonefish ( 40 plus fish sessions in 3 hours...and BIG too...we were getting busted off on straight 60lb leaders and 6/0 clousers fished on 12 weights by ENORMOUS Bones..), snappers, emperors, bluefin trevs, and all manner of other species, with the heavy popping gear for the big GT's and barracudas, and then the jigging set up for fishing the reef passes and drop offs for Doggies, coral trout, snappers and yellowfin......

The fish tailing in the background are Parrotfish of some kind, I can't remember which ones.... but the Castaways boys have figured out how to catch Humphead Parrotfish on Fly now..... up to 40lbs.... Crazy buggers...

Definetly a place I have to visit again....

[Aaron Concord]

Andre,
That's a special thing you were able to be involved in....if there are not more people surfing this forum, breaking open their yearly trip savings to book a trip there then I must be the only one!!!!!!!!!
At the moment, I am my own worst enemy since I had neck surgery just over a month ago....so I have had WAY too much time absorbing places I would love to fish....this is now definetley one of them.
On fly or spin gear, there is no bigger rush than standing in knee to waist deep water, picking out your target and getting a reponse like a 100lb GT could give in the shallows.
I've videoed it for others....now it's time for me to be on the rod!!!!

If you ever need a camera man to take photo!!!

Aaron.

[Santosh Shanmuga]

Thanks for the replies guys! Have any of you ever experienced the GT fishing in the Christmas Islands?
I know the bonefishing there is said to equal the Seychelles, and there are a lot of Yellowfin Tuna.

[Andre van Wyk]

Aaron - Mate I know the feelin... work has been keeping me land bound for waaaaaay to long... much like you my only escape is friends fishing reports, and dreaming up fishing trips across the planet, and abusing ones bank account aquiring new gear for these trips which hoepfully may happen one day!!!! 

That trip was truly magical, and every angler on it was just awe struck every day over and over again.... watching 60 to 80lb GT's in 2 feet of water , charging at your fly so hard that their eyes and pec fins come right out the water just as they annihilate your poor 6/0 Flashy Profile was just nuts...... in the first couple days alot of the times one just loses it completely and forgets to carry on stripping as you are just frozen by the actions of these fish.... Crazy man... I have daydreams about that trip at least 4 times a day, and it was 3 years ago nearly... I also have a big print of that second pic in my first post on my desk over which I have written "Reason to Live, Reason to Work" as inspiration..... I'll be back....

Santosh - I have never fished Christmas Island, and know only what I have heard from reports and articals and books over the years.... Insane fishing I'm sure, but if you can afford Seychelles, its leagues ahead by what I have heard from those who have fished both..... Sychelles is what Christmas Island was 50 years ago.... the outer atolls of Asumption, Astove, Cosmoledo and Farquahr are untouched and pristine beyond imagining.... there are times when you literally are standing on a flat that is a carpet of fish.... its insane, I can't really describe it.... everywhere you look, there are fish and tails.... Bonefishing becomes a point of not trying to catch a fish, but to catch a very specific fish, and then to try catch one without any flyline out, just your leader, then once you've done that a few times, you shorten it to catching 10lb bones with 1 metre of leader out.... then you try go after the big "Blueback" bonefish that come in onto the rocky coral flats from the open ocean on the incoming tide.... these buggers look like GT's they are so huge... 60lb leaders on 12 weights got SMASHED..... we didn't land a single one... I don't know if they are landable....

At one time, my Dad and myself took over 40 bonefish between us, in as many casts, without moving more than a few metres, without a single other soul anywhere to be seen.... its crazy....

Here are a few more pics...





Oh, and there are PLENTY of Yellowfin and Sailfish in Seychelles too...

[Luke Wyrsta]

Some great pics there Andre - Bones are the only other fish that I personally consider a trophy equal to a mammoth GT in my books. I have now enjoyed chasing those ghosts in New Caledonia, Hawaii and Kiribati.

Seychelles is definately on my list to visit but for some reason, as has been mentioned, it seems that it doesn't always rate a mention. The fishing potential is irifutable - must simply be the remoteness and costs involved that cause this. However, in saying that, I have access to grounds which on face value, would consider just as good - just slightly different scenery and GPS coordinates! As KC mentioned, I have personally seen what I would call close to 1 metre green back bones at Boat Pass, Baabaa & St. Phalle in New Caledonia - sensational stuff! Can't say that I know of another place (inc Sey) that rates such mentions for World Record Bones. We have also located a flat much further south where 80lb+ GTs regularly chase baby turtles as they hatch and make theire first voyage on to the flats.

Go the polaroid filter! Don't think I could ever pick up another camera with one!

Should be back in NC in a few weeks - fingers crossed.